Opening Address by the ANC PTT Secretary, Cde.Joy Matshoge, on the occasion of Popularisation of the ANC Election Manifesto, Ngoako Ramahlodi Sports Complex

Opening Address by the ANC PTT Secretary, Cde.Joy Matshoge, on the occasion of Popularisation of the ANC Election Manifesto, Ngoako Ramahlodi Sports Complex

29 January 2014

Comrade Chairperson
Alliance partners
Friends and Compatriots

I bring you warm greetings from the Provincial Task Team of the ANC with the knowledge and confidence that this gathering will achieve its intended objectives with commitment and vigor.

On the 08th January 2014, the ANC celebrated its 102 anniversary. The occasion was the testimony to the central role that our movement has played in the struggle for liberation in South Africa.

We are pleased to have our friends and stakeholders in our midst on this important occasion. We must pause to consider the struggles fought and the hardships confronted in our long struggle to achieve a democratic South Africa.

We must pay tribute to the multitude of people who have been engaged in this struggle, and the remarkable people who have led this struggle at critical moments in our history.We pay tribute in particular to those who lost their lives in the titanic struggle against colonialism and oppression.We must also pay homage to leaders of our movement: Cde Albert Luthuli, Cde. Oliver Tambo and many others.

We must also consider the historic mission for which the ANC was founded in 1912, to unite the South African people to eradicate racial oppression and other forms of discrimination and exploitation.

Each year, on the anniversary of the formation of the ANC, the ANC outline the objectives, tasks and activities that must be undertaken in the year ahead to advance this historic mission.

We are gathered here, focused on the objectives of speeding up the improvement of quality of life of all our people.

The 2014, Election Manifesto, is the central pillar of our programme of action in government for the next five years. Today we seek a resounding endorsement of the Manifesto from you, the South African electorate, and a clear mandate to continue to build on progress we have already made.

In addition, this year, South Africa celebrates 20 years of freedom. We will celebrate 20 years of achievements in development and progress that is unprecedented in the history of our country. We will celebrate 20 years of affirming the right of all South Africans to be an equal part of this nation, free from discrimination or exploitation.

We can say,without any doubt, that in 20 years we have worked together to change people`s lives for the better. This is a great achievement. It is an achievement that belongs to all of us.It is only through meaningful partnership that we have been able to come this far.

By grappling together with the problems that confront us, and by working together to find solutions, we are able to overcome even the most difficult of challenges.

By working together we have managed to build our economy. Under difficult conditions, we made progress in tackling unfavorable economic conditions, we were nevertheless able to make a real and visible difference to lives of the
poor South Africans.Never before, in the history, have so many of our
people had proper shelter, or clean water, or electricity.

These are among the basic needs that we have worked together to bring to millions of our people. For all the progress that we have made, there are many more still in need of the basic necessities of life.

We must redouble our efforts to ensure that those who have not yet been reached by our programmes are able to access these services as quickly as possible.

Through these efforts we must have pushed back the frontiers of poverty.
Through the provision of housing and land, by massively expanding the social security net, and by broadening access to education and health care, we have brought change to lives of those people who need it.

Just as we must recognize the tremendous achievements we have made, we need to acknowledge that the is still much that needs to be done.

The progress we have made over the last 20 years has been provided a solid foundation, and a firm basis to move even faster to achieve even more.mOver
20 years of freedom we have gained much experience, we learnt valuable lessons.

We have not been afraid to admit our shortcomings.There have been times when reality did not meet expectations, and where the challenges we faced were greater and complex than we had anticipated. Yet because of this ,we are better equipped today than we have ever been before, to respond effectively to the needs of our people.

Our manifesto demonstrate that we have developed and grown as a party in government, that we understand the challenges of governance, and that we have practical programme to address these.

Our election campaign are in motion and thousands of volunteers will spread out across the province to meet the people, and inform them about the ANCs plans for the next five years. We will go from house to house, meeting voters and engaging in a dialogue about our common concerns and shared future.

This campaign is going to be robust and interesting. We expect many different fly by night parties will emerge to assert their views and policies. We look forward to a vigorous contest of ideas. We can expect that there will be a lot of noise, as parties compete to set the agenda for election and to grab the attention of the electorate. We can expect that some will form coalition to fight the ANC.We can expect confusion and directionless by this fly by night political parties.

The Manifesto we populate today, is the product of 20 years of experience.It is also the result of an extensive consultation process through Masikhulume Election Forums.In the course of developing our plans, we have consulted not only with our Alliance partners and MDM formations, but also a range of civil society organizations, experts and professionals.

We have received a tremendous number of suggestions from members of the public.They told us about their concerns, their aspirations, and practical steps that can be taken to improve the province and the country at large.

TOGETHER WE MOVE SOUTH AFRICA FORWARD

Let me remind you that 7-8 February 2014, are final registration days, to register to vote. Lets go out in our number, to ensure that our people go and register to vote ANC in the coming general elections. Lets ensure that we receive another mandate from our people to govern for the next five years.

Lets encourage our brothers and sisters in the correctional institutes to also register on the 5-7 February 2014 in their respective rehabilitation centers.We need their vote and its important that they vote ANC, so that we can work to improve the ills and living conditions created by the apartheid system.

Let`s all do it for Tata Madiba, we owe our freedom to him and others. Lets make all ancestors of this glorious movement proud of us. My ANC, My Vision, Our Future.

Comrades and friends, we thank all of you for your support in various ways.
Let us continue to walk this road together, as we work harder to achieve a better life for our people.